Autos

Mercedes-AMG has officially announced the return of the SL sportscar, delivering it in both SL 55 and SL 63 specifications with a soft-top roof for the first time in its near-70-year legacy. Speaking on the new car, Jochen Hermann, Chief Technical Officer of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, says: “We at Mercedes-AMG consider it a great honor to have had the privilege to develop the new edition of this sports car icon. When we were tasked with the overall development of the new SL, we were able to start from scratch without building on an existing structure. We are proud of the result, which once again demonstrates the high level of engineering expertise in Affalterbach. The new 2+2 concept combines agile driving dynamics with a high level of comfort and unrestricted suitability for everyday use.&#...

Halloween is one of the busiest weeks for the ride-hailing platform Uber, so to make the most of the occasion it has announced a trio of “famous rides.” Offering customers in Miami, Los Angeles, and Atlanta the opportunity to ride in either the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Party Wagon, SpongeBob SquarePants’ Patty Wagon, or Scooby-Doo’s Mystery Machine, respectively, the chance to ride in these cars is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Furthermore, if you do manage to hail one of these rare rides, passengers will be given themed face masks — the COVID-19 kind, not Halloween costumes. The cars themselves are as original as possible — especially the Patty Wagon, which is quite literally shaped like a sandwich-esque burger. The other two are aptly themed inside and out....

Rolls-Royce is not a byword for sporty, but its Black Badge division does its utmost best at redeveloping the existing range of cars and turning them into more dynamic machines — much like the just-revealed Black Badge Ghost. Featuring a 6.75-liter V12 engine that now produces 591 BHP and 664 lb-ft of torque, coupled with a revised drivetrain and chassis that’s been configured for a more rapid approach to motoring, the Black Badge Ghost uses all-wheel-drive with four-wheel-steering to deliver 60 MPH in 4.5 seconds, before hitting its 155 MPH top speed. However, you don’t buy a Rolls-Royce for the performance. No, luxury is still the most important factor, even in the Black Badge Ghost. Details such as the Spirit of Ecstasy and the Pantheon Grille are exposed to chrome ele...

Another week, another MANHART tune: welcome to the MHX3 600, otherwise known as the German tuning division’s outlandish take on the BMW X3 M Competition. In stock form, the X3 M Competiton is no slouch — albeit a slight oxymoron as are all mid-sized performance-focused family SUVs — as it packs a bi-turbo three-liter inline-six that produces 510 HP and 650 Nm of torque. Thanks to MANHART, this has been bumped up to a staggering 635 HP and 785 Nm, meaning its stock 0-62 MPH time of 3.8 seconds has been slashed to the low three-second mark. Limited to just 10 units, the conversion brings a complete stainless steel exhaust system with valve control that’s offset with four carbon fiber tailpipes at the rear, and if you wish, you can alter the downpipes for even more noi...

With most of the automotive industry moving towards a greener future with electric powertrains, Mercedes-Benz has now developed a new electric delivery van concept that goes beyond just reducing carbon emissions. Aptly dubbed the Sustaineer, the new concept centers around creating a more sustainable future in logistics. On top of a greener powertrain, the vehicle can actually purify the air surrounding it through fine particulate filters placed on both the front of the van and its underbody. It also utilizes cast iron, ceramic-coated disc brakes to limit how much dust is produced in the air. Cleaning air aside, the EV is equipped with a range of other eco-friendly technologies, such as solar panels on its roof to boost the car’s range, a more energy-efficient heating system, low roll...

Ludacris recently took to Instagram to show off his test drive with Mercedes Benz‘s latest first, fully-electric car. The Mercedez Benz in question is the Mercedes EQS 580 model. Ludacris can be heard saying, “First fully-electric Mercedes Benz, and who gets to test drive it first? It is I who gets to test it out first. It is I.” The rapper shares his excitement, giving fans an intimate tour of the car from the perspective of the driver’s seat. Ludacris shows off the EQS’s massive dashboard screen and is evidently taken aback by its capabilities, “I feel like I’m about to play a video game. But it’s not a video game, it’s real life. And that I love.” The EQS dashboard screen spans across the width of the dashboard and allow passen...

McLaren’s MSO (McLaren Special Operations) division has just unveiled its newest special edition for the Australian market in the form of the Daniel Ricciardo 720S. This supercar sees the same Papaya Spark Orange that’s seen on McLaren’s MCL35M Formula 1 car and is accented with Burton Blue — this theme extends to the interior and even on to the brake calipers. The Daniel Ricciardo references can be found in the form of the number “3” at the side, Ricciardo-signed carbon fiber sills, and an Australian flag. Limited to three examples, this special edition should come in over the regular 720S’ $285,000 USD price tag. There’s currently no info on if any additional performance upgrades were made to this Daniel Ricciardo edition. In other automoti...

Chevrolet has just unveiled its latest 2023 Corvette Z06, giving the iconic sports car a few welcome upgrades drawn from the model’s C8.R racing sibling. Sharing the same chassis with its on-track variant, the new Z06 now packs a hand-assembled, naturally aspirated 5.5-liter LT6 V8 engine capable of pushing out 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. It also carries a new flat-plane crankshaft that can push the car up to 8,600 rpm, translating the vehicle’s immense power into a 0-60 mph time of a mere 2.6 seconds. Power aside, the Corvette also receives various enhancements to its aero design. It now measures 3.6 inches wider than the Stingray in order to make way for larger 345-series tires while at the same time increasing capacity for airflow. A specially-designed front...

Land Rover Range Rover‘s flagship model is approaching its 52nd birthday, and now the fifth generation Range Rover has officially been unveiled. Coming in a dazzling number of specifications and iterations that are set to include everything from a pure-electric version coming in 2024 to PHEV models and, of course, a range of V8 specs that will include an SV offering, the new RR is the British marque’s final word in sophistication and luxury — as it has been for over half a century. Available in SE, HSE, and Autobiography models, as well as a limited-run “First Edition” version that will be available for just one year and comes in an exclusive “Sunset Gold Satin” hue — alongside five other colors on offer — the new RR will come in short-...

Renault is celebrating the 4L’s 60th anniversary this year, and in honor of the occasion it has partnered with the multifaceted designer Mathieu Lehanneur to create “SUITE N°4.” The conceptual design takes an existing 4L and converts it into something inspired by a nomad hotel suite. As Lehanneur puts it, “SUITE N°4 is a new mobility and travel experience. I wanted to merge the worlds of cars and architecture to create an open-air hotel room. Even better than the finest palatial suite, the car is exactly where you want it to be, whether that’s by the sea, in the middle of a field, or driving around the city you’ve always dreamed of.” To accomplish this design, Renault and Lehanneur took the original 4L and transformed the car to feature a rear section and hatc...

Japanese bike manufacturer ICOMA has released a foldable electric motorcycle, dubbed the Tatamel Bike, that can be manipulated to fit into small spaces for convenient storage. When fully unfolded, the motorcycle measures 1230mm long, 1000mm tall and 650mm wide. In its folded position, the bike shrinks down considerably to only 700mm long, 680mm tall and 260mm wide. The front of the bike folds up and locks into place when ready to ride, while the back of the vehicle extends from underneath a side panel and rests on a kickstand once fully removed. The bike enlists a lithium iron phosphate battery, which can power the Tatamel to a top speed of 40 km/h. With a portable power supply, the bike is capable of cruising for roughly 50 km on one charge. ICOMA’s latest design features rectangula...

Looking ahead to 2022, GMC has now introduced its latest Sierra 1500 series, creating the automaker’s most luxurious options for the iconic lineup. Starting at $80,395 USD, the Denali Ultimate will be GMC’s supreme luxury option, coming in a sleek black exterior highlighted with an updated Vader chrome grille and Low Gloss Black accents all around. With extravagance and comfort in mind, the truck’s interior carries full-grain leather upholstery with genuine wood paneling, coupled with brand new tech such as an updated version of Super Cruise hands-free driver-assistance that can now automatically change lanes, a 12-speaker Bose Premium sound system, a 15-inch head-up display, a rear camera mirror, and 16-way adjustable massage seats. As for the AT4X, the off-roader will s...